Nancylamar's Weblog

Western Upstate Home Sales Statistics through 1st Qtr 2010

nancylamar — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:47:31 +0000

I am so excited to be sharing some positive information and numbers. After three years of doing these quarterly updates, this is the first time I’ve had a chance to report positive numbers. Here in the Western Upstate MLS, 538 residential homes sold year to date in 2010. That is an increase of +6% verses the same period last year of number of units sold. The Western Upstate MLS is made up of Anderson, Pickens, & Oconee Counties. The average price of all homes across the Western Upstate is also a positive number! It is +5% verses through 1st quarter year ago. The average sold to list price is 93% year to date in the Western Upstate MLS. Below is a chart with the actual numbers which shows the statistics for the waterfront homes on separately:

Year	Homes Sold through March 31	Percent change vs previous year	Average Sold Price	Percent change vs. previous year in sold price	Average Days on Market
All Homes-2010	538	+6%	$175,846	+5%	156
All Homes -2009	508	-31%	$168,194	+3%	155
All Western Upstate WF-2010	56	+37%	$512,044	-8%	195
All Western Upstate WF-2009	41	-35%	$545,217	+19%	222

Here is the percent of homes selling in each price range:

Price Range	Percent of Homes Sold
Up to $200,000	74.7%
$201,000-$275,000	11.2%
$276,000-$350,000	4.8%
$351,000-$500,000	4.1%
$501,000-$850,000	3.9%
More than $851,000	1.3%

Visit my website at www.CallNancyLamar.com

Western Upstate Home Sale Stats 4th Qtr 2009

nancylamar — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:50:37 +0000

Western Upstate Home Sales Statistics through 4th Qtr 2009

Here in the Western Upstate MLS, 2670 residential homes sold in 2009. That is -13% (down) of the number of units sold verses the same period last year. The Western Upstate MLS is made up of Anderson, Pickens, & Oconee Counties. The waterfront home sales here in the Upstate have been hit the hardest. Their sales are -33%(down) in units verses last year, however the average sold price is stable verses that same period last year. The average price of all homes across the Western Upstate is
-7%(down) verses through 4th quarter year ago. You will also see the average days on market has increased this year vs. last year as well. Below is a chart with the actual numbers which shows the statistics for the waterfront homes on Lake Hartwell separately:

Year Homes Sold through Dec ‘08 Percent change vs previous year Average Sold Price Percent change vs. previous year in sold price Average Days on Market
All Homes-2009 2670 -13% $159,558 -7% 157
All Homes -2008 3086 -27% $172,410 -.04% 136
All Western Upstate WF-2009 211 -33% $456,770 +.002% 184
All Western Upstate WF-2008 229 -31% $500,412 +1.2% 139

Here is the percent of homes selling in each price range:

Price Range Percent of Homes Sold
Up to $200,000 61.3%
$201,000-$275,000 14.7%
$276,000-$350,000 14.9%
$351,000-$500,000 3.7%
$501,000-$850,000 2.4%
More than $851,000 .9%

www.CallNancyLamar.com

Lake Hartwell is full!

nancylamar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:04:27 +0000

I never thought I’d be saying this again! Lake Hartwell is full! Full pool is 660′, and after last year’s all time low point last fall, I never expected that just 13 months later, our lake would be above full pool. According to the Army Corps of Engineers website, today the lake is at 660.11′.

Thanks to Hurricane Ida, we had 1.43″ of rain today, and 4.46″ of rain so far this month! That’s OK! We’ll take it! After 3 years of drought conditions, we’re happy for it!

www.CallNancyLamar.com

Tax Credit Updates

nancylamar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:35:28 +0000

By the Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Buying a home is about to get cheaper for a whole new crop of homebuyers — $6,500 cheaper.

First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package enacted earlier this year. But with the program scheduled to expire at the end of November, the House voted 403-12 Thursday to extend and expand the tax credit to include many buyers who already own homes.

The Senate approved the measure Wednesday, and the White House said President Barack Obama would sign it today.

Buyers who have owned their homes at least five years would be eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers — or anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years — would still get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers in both groups have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and close by June 30.

“This is probably the last extension,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a former real estate executive who championed the credits.

The homebuyer tax credit is one of two tax breaks totaling more than $21 billion that was included in a bill extending unemployment benefits for those without a job for more than a year. The other would let companies losing money recoup taxes they paid on profits earned in the previous five years.

“We are still in a world of economic hurt, and Congress must continue to act boldly and creatively,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. “With the right mix of tax breaks and investments, we will get through this recession and get folks working again.”

The real estate industry has been pushing to extend and expand the housing tax credit. About 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have qualified for the credit through August. The National Association of Realtors estimates that 350,000 of them would not have purchased their homes without the credit.

Extending and expanding the tax credit for homebuyers is projected to cost the government about $10.8 billion in lost taxes. While the measure passed the Senate by a 98-0 vote, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., questioned its efficiency in stimulating home sales.

“For the vast majority of cases, the homebuyer tax credit amounted to a free gift since it did not affect their decision to purchase a home,” Bond said. “And for the small minority of buyers whose decision was directly caused by the credit, this raises the question of whether we are subsidizing buyers who may not have been able to afford buying a home in the first place.”

The credit is available for the purchase of principal homes costing $800,000 or less, meaning vacation homes are ineligible. The credit would be phased out for individuals with annual incomes above $125,000 and for joint filers with incomes above $225,000.

www.CallNancyLamar.com

Lake Hartwell is Nearly at Full Pool

nancylamar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:10:41 +0000

The buzz around Anderson County is that our lake is all most full pool, and is projected to be full pool by the beginning of the new year. The reason we water lovers are all excited about this is because last October 2008, the lake level average was 639.01 which meant is was down 20.99′ from the 660 full pool level. Today, October 21, 2009, our lake level is 657.67, which is only down 2.33′. We’ve had 4.84″ of rain so far this month, with more rain in the forecast for tomorrow! We thought the lake would never come back, and no one dreamed it would rebound 18.66′ all in one year! Thank you Lord!

www.CallNancyLamar.com

Western Upstate Home Sales Statistics through Third Qtr 2009

nancylamar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:16:37 +0000

Western Upstate Home Sales Statistics through Third Qtr 2009

Here in the Western Upstate MLS there are currently 4222 residential homes listed in the MLS. The Western Upstate MLS is made up of Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee Counties.

Year to date through 9/30/09, only 1951 residential homes sold. That is down 22% verses the same period last year. The average “sold price” of homes is also down -9% verses the same period last year. The waterfront home sale units are down -24% verses year ago through September, and their home prices are down -5%. The days on market has increased to 160 days on market, which has increased verses the average number of days on market through last Sept 30^th. The chart below shows the actual numbers with the statistics for the waterfront homes shown separately.

Quarter	Homes Sold through September(Units)	Percent change vs previous year	Average Sold Price	Percent change vs. year ago “sold price”	Average Days on Market
All Homes Jan – Sept 2009	1951	-22%	$159,416	-9%	160
All Homes Jan-Sept 2008	2504	-24%	$175,403	-3%	136
All WF Homes Jan-Sept 2009	149	-24%	$465,082	-6%	189
All WF Homes Jan-Sept 2008	195	-31%	$491,487	-1 %	137

Below is a table that shows the percent of homes selling in each price range. You will see that the “first time home buyer” price range is what is mainly selling this year so far:

Price Range	Number of Units Sold	Percent of Homes
$1 – $100,000	765	39.2%
$100,001 – $150,000	494	25.3%
$150,001 – $200,000	267	13.7%
$200,001- $275,000	195	10%
$275,001 – $350,000	94	4.8%
$350,001 – $500,000	71	3.6%
$500,001 – $1,000,000	51	2.6%
More than $1,000,000	13	.7%

For the thirteen homes that sold for more than one million dollars so far this year, 12 of them were waterfront homes on Lake Keowee and one was a commercial home in Greenville.

Drought in the Upstate of SC turns to Flooding!

nancylamar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:27:01 +0000

I can’t believe what is happening here in the Upstate of South Carolina. We’ve been in a drought for several years, and now unbelievably, we have flooding going on. I can’t imagine we’re hearing “rain, rain, go away, come back again another day”! It was just last September, our beautiful Lake Hartwell, was at an all time low level and down 24 feet. Over this past week-end there were lots of roads closed due to flooding in our adjacent Oconee County. We’ve had 6.95″ of rain month to date so far according to the Army Corps of Engineers, with .63″ so far today, and it’s still raining! Full pool for Lake Hartwell is 660′, and today its at 655.09. I bet by the end of the week, and with all the run off we’ll be full pool in another week or so! Stay tuned!

www.CallNancyLamar.com 864-844-4896

Western Upstate Home Sale Statistics through Second Qtr 2009

nancylamar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:46:25 +0000

Here in the Western Upstate MLS there are currently 4408 homes listed in the MLS. This is a 6% increase verses the number of homes that were listed through the first quarter of this year. The Western Upstate MLS is made up of Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee Counties.

Year to date through 6/30/09, only 1154 residential homes sold. That is down 30% verses the same period last year. The average “sold price” of homes is also down -11% verses the same period last year. The waterfront home sale units are also down -44% verses year ago through June, and their home prices are down -2o%. The days on market has remained constant at 155 days on market, which was the same as it was through the first quarter of this year. The chart below shows the actual numbers with the statistics for the waterfront homes shown separately.

Quarter	Homes Sold through June (Units)	Percent change vs previous year	Average Sold Price	Percent change vs. year ago “sold price”	Average Days on Market
All Homes Jan – Jun 2009	1154	-30%	$158,508	-11%	155
All Homes Jan-Jun 2008	1640	-22%	$179,105	+2%	137
All WF Homes Jan-Jun 2009	75	-44%	$415,000	-18%	207
All WF Homes Jan-Jun 2008	134	-20%	$505,028	+8 %	128

Below is a table that shows the percent of homes selling in each price range. You will see that the “first time home buyer” price range is what is mainly selling this year so far:

Price Range	Number of Units Sold	Percent of Homes
$1 – $100,000	474	41%
$100,001 – $150,000	283	24.5%
$150,001 – $200,000	158	13.7%
$200,001- $275,000	110	9.5%
$275,001 – $350,000	55	4.8%
$350,001 – $500,000	41	3.5%
$500,001 – $1,000,000	25	2.2%
More than $1,000,000	11	1.0%

For the eleven homes that sold for more than one million dollars so far this year, 10 of them were waterfront homes on Lake Keowee and one was a commercial home in Greenville.

Western Upstate Home Sales Statistics through First Qtr 2009

nancylamar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:44:22 +0000

Western Upstate Home Sales Statistics through First Qtr 2009

Here in the Western Upstate MLS there are currently 4164 homes listed in the MLS. The Western Upstate MLS is made up of Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee Counties.

Year to date through 3/31/09, only 475 residential homes sold. That is down 35% verses the same period last year. The average “sold price” of homes is also down, but not nearly as much as lots of other areas of the country. You can see those details on the chart below. The waterfront home sale units are also down nearly 35%, however the good news is that the average sold price is up 19.3% verses the average home sale price from year ago. The days on market is also increasing. Year to date the average days on market is 155 days, which is a 7% increase verses the same period last year. The chart below shows the actual numbers with the statistics for the waterfront homes shown separately.

Quarter	Homes Sold through March (Units)	Percent change vs previous year	Average Sold Price	Percent change vs. year ago “sold price”	Average Days on Market
All Homes Jan – Mar 2009	475	-35%	$168,470	-3%	155
All Homes Jan-Mar 2008	856	-14%	$173,375	+5%	145
All WF Homes Jan-Mar 2009	40	-34.5%	$548,598	+19.3%	221
All WF Homes Jan-Mar 2008	63	+3.3%	$463,475	-.08%	205

Below is a table that shows the percent of homes selling in each price range. You will see that the “first time home buyer” price range is what is mainly selling this year so far:

Price Range	Number of Units Sold	Percent of Homes
$1 – $100,000	197	41%
$100,001 – $150,000	110	23.2%
$150,001 – $200,000	64	13.5%
$200,001- $275,000	43	9.1%
$275,001 – $350,000	17	3.6%
$350,001 – $500,000	25	5.3%
$500,001 – $1,000,000	13	2.5%
More than $1,000,000	5	1.2%

For the five homes that sold for more than one million dollars so far this year, they were all waterfront homes on Lake Keowee.

www.CallNancyLamar.com

Lake Hartwell Continues to Rise

nancylamar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:00:51 +0000

Hip, Hip, HOORAY! After several years of being in a severe drought in the Upstate of SC, Lake Hartwell continues to rise. It was just back in September of 2008, that Lake Hartwell hit its all time low since it was originally filled, and was down as much as 23′. Today the lake is 649′ above sea level. Full pool is 660′, which means we are down 11′ verses full pool. Considering it has come up 12′ since last September, the local people feel very positive about the lake levels. And we should. The Army Corps of Engineers spoke to the Realtors at our meeting last week, and said that for the next two months, they will not be letting any more water out of our lake. That combined with the recent rain we’ve had are making a big difference. We’ve had 3.21″ of rain so far this month. Now if you’re wondering how just a little over 3″ of rain can make such a difference, it’s because of “run off”. The lake can rise as much as 1′ per 1″ of rain we get, if it covers the entire area. The Corps also shared that we could be at full pool by May of this year. That will make lots of Waterfront Homeowners, Boaters, and Fishermen happy!